One complaint I hear often from residents of the 6th District is that Washington, D.C. has too many unelected bureaucrats making decisions that impact Americans throughout the country. Many of these bureaucrats in federal agencies hold massive amounts of power, do not change with new Presidential administrations, and are not held accountable because it is extremely difficult to remove them if they are bad at their jobs.

This week, the House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing to investigate how Congress can improve accountability and transparency within the federal government. During this hearing, I asked about how we can better hold these bureaucrats in Washington accountable. It is not fair to say that every federal government employee is bad at their job and working against your best interest. However, many of these bureaucrats have their own political ideology, which can result in diminished motivation when they are given projects they do not agree with personally. In 2016, less than 5 percent of Washington, D.C. residents voted for President Trump. Knowing this, I saw firsthand how difficult it was for Congress, and even members of the Presidential Cabinet, to enact real change because bureaucrats were hesitating to implement fresh policies.

I am accountable to you, the residents of Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District. I keep your interests in mind and fight for them every day. We need to create the same drive within government agencies, which is why I am always looking for ways to hold bureaucrats accountable and make sure that the real power in the United States lies with our citizens through elected representatives.

Do you have a star in the top right corner of your driver's license or identification card? This star indicates that you have been issued a REAL ID, and these will soon be required in order to, among other things, fly domestically. The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles has begun to issue REAL ID compliant driver's licenses and identification cards as part of the effort to meet more stringent security standards from Congress and The Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

If you do not have a REAL ID, DHS has extended the deadline from the end of this year to May 3, 2023. For more information from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, please click here.

On Tuesday, we celebrated firefighter Appreciation Day. I'm always honored to meet the brave firefighters of Wisconsin's 6th District. Thank you for your service to our communities.

I had a great time meeting with Ripon Middle School students for their Capitol Hill Challenge, where we discussed the importance of setting aside money for retirement and avoiding unnecessary debt.

Friday, on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we recognized the sacrifices and contributions of military spouses with significant others serving our nation. Thank you for your service to our country by supporting our men and women in uniform.

As your Congressman, I’m here to serve you. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to my offices in Fond du Lac and Washington. If you enjoyed this newsletter, be sure to forward it to your family and friends so they can stay informed on what I’m doing in Washington and the 6th District, and let them know that they can subscribe by clicking here.

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